NEWTON, Mass. (AP) — The principal at a suburban Boston high school has canceled the school’s annual powderpuff football game, in which girls take the field to play flag football while boys cheer from the sidelines, saying it’s sexist, divisive and dangerous.

The move at Newton South High sparked an immediate backlash from students, who call the game “a rite of passage.”

The game between seniors and juniors is played the day before Thanksgiving, right after a pep rally for the boys’ game the next day. Many Massachusetts high schools have similar traditions.

Newton South principal Joel Stembridge says the game has become so competitive that in recent years, girls have suffered concussions and broken bones.

Senior Lucy Holmes tells The Boston Globe (http://b.globe.com/1eqZ6WY ) the game is harmless fun and a celebration of women’s sports.